Fire-escape.



C. S. PARRIS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1B. 1914.

Ll, Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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coLuMBIA PLANNER/PH co.. WASHINGTON, DA c,

GALEB S. PARRIS, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1915.

Application led March 18, 1914. Serial No. 825,690.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CALEB S. PARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, `like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in fire escapes of the type in which a stairway leads from accessible exits fromthe upper floors of a building to the ground. Such fire escapes are usually secured to the outer wall of the building and are provided with means whereby the lowest section of the stairway may be lifted above the ground a suflicient distance to prevent Yintruders from obtaining access to the building by way of the fire-escape, the lowest section being adapted to be lowered from above to permit persons escaping from a lire to descend to the ground. The re escapes thus constructed are exposed to the weather and voften are used to support rugs, mattresses, etc., while they are being cleaned so that not infrequently the mechanism which supports the lowest section of the fire escape becomes clogged and cannot be readily released by persons escaping from a fire inthe building.

In some types of lire-escapes the lowest section of stairway is so balanced that it is supported in substantially a horizontal `position by the heavier weight ofthe upper end of the section or by a weighted extension thereof. VIn such cases a person may walk a considerable distance out upon the other end -of the lower section before it is overbalanced and its rapid movement thereafter will be likely to hurl the person to the ground with violence. In other cases. the

mechanism for locking the lowersectionin l horizontal position is so located that aperson escaping from' the fire mayimmediately step upon the upper part Vof the lower section after releasing the locking member'and the rapid descent of said lower section with the weight ofthe person on itV will throw him to the ground.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple but effectl ve means whereby'a person escaping from a fire will actuate the releasing mechanism in passing fromthe landing at the upper end of a flight of stairs above the lowest or cantaliver section so that the free end of the lever will be permitted to descend to the ground before the person reaches the topmost step thereof.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism for the pivotally mounted cantaliver section which will not become clogged or set by ice, dirt or other obstructions of like character.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the lower sections of the lire-escape showing the second floor landing or balcony, a short flight of stairs descendlng therefrom and a cantaliver section balanced at the foot thereof, Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail elevation broken away in the middle of the supporting and releasing mechanism for the cantaliver. locking and releasing mechanism illustrated in Figs. l andQ. A

The preferred form of lire escapeembody.- ing this invention comprises a series of iron or steel stairways, (not shown) leading from the upper stories of the building with landings at the various floors connecting there.- with such as that illustrated herewith with an exit on the second floor. These landings are desirably constructed of a grated floor section formed of iron rods or tubes which are suitably connected at their ends by cross members 2` and rest upon horizontally disposed supporting members anchored in the ,wall of the building. and which may be provided with downwardly inclined metallic braces 4l. The landing or balcony is desirably provided `with a grating or railing 6 of sufficient height to prevent personshastening from the exit from accidentally falling from the landing. T-he second Hoor landing leads to afliglit of steps 7 preferably consisting of steel supporting girders connected by iron rodsor slotted metallic steps 8 and terminating a sufficient height above the ground to render it impossible for a person standing on the .groundtonreach the same. The lower end o-f the flight is supported upon a strong preferably cylindrical bar 9 anchored in the wall ofthe `building and desirably provided Vwith a supporting brace r10. Suitable guard railsll andposts l2 maybeprovided to strengthen the structure and to prevent descending persons from `falling overthefsides of the flight 7.

`Thelowe'rmost section of the fire escape Fig. 3 is a detail view of thecomprises a cantaliver section constructed of steel girders lpivotally mounted upon vthe bar 9 outside of the planes of the girders of the stationary flight 7. The girders 13 are extended beyond the pivotal rod 10 to points vertically beneath the second floor landing and are connectedupon their undersides by cross pieces 17 provided with means for supporting suitableweights 18 adapted to nearlylcounterbalance the lower sectionof the cantaliver. The girders 13 are connected below the pivotal bar 10 by the usual series of steps constructed in the'mannerV aforesaid.

As above stated one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective means for supporting the cantaliver in lifted or horizontal position which may be released easily and certainly by a person escaping from the lire as he Vleaves the upper "landing so that by the time `he lreachesthe lower end of the inclined section which leads to the cantaliver thexfoot ofthe ladder will have reached the ground so that he may descend in safety.

. In' the ,preferred form of invention disclosed inthe drawing this isaccomplished by providing a latchmfor the cantaliver sectioncomprising afvertical shaft 19 suitably journaledin bearings 20, 21, in members secured'to and extending laterally from an upright or post 23 at the outer corner of thellanding adjacent to the'inclined section 7, the shaft19 being provided with collars 241, 25'adjustably secured thereon by suitable set screws. The collar 211 is desir-ably secured upon the shaft 19 to bear upon the underside ofthe bearing 20, and the ycollar 25 vis so secured'to the rod 19 as to bear upon the upper surface of the bearing 2l thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the rod 19 in either direction. `The rod 19 may be provided at its lower end with lateral extensions 26, 27 adaptedto be positioned rvsopas toembrace the outer girder ofv thecantaliver `Vsection `when the latter is v raised to horizontal position and to lock' the same in said position against movement in either" direction.

rlhe sh ft'19 is desirably made of cientlength to permit its end to be bent lat-y erally in substantial lparallelism with lateral `extensions 26 and 27 to form a gateor barrier-2,8 across the .exit passage leading fromthe second floor' landing to the flight V7. It is found 'in practice that the engage- 'ment of the arms26, 27 Vwith the girders of the cantaliver is sufficient to prevent acci- Adentalj 'rotation'y of the shaft 19 and 'it is fdesirableto avoid as much as possible the use of any obstructing meanswhioh would be likelyto delay a person in his escape fromthe fire. y If Yfound desirable f howeverVv the free end of the gate member 28 may: be caused to rest in a c lepressionv in a plate.29 `arr'ied by the top rail ofthe grating 6 or Aleading to the outer end of the cantaliver section. This is easily accomplished by merely pressing against, or at most, slightly raising and pressing against the gate 2S. As he passes on the gate will swing aside rotating the shaft 19 and the members 2(1) and 27 from engagement with the girder 13 thus permitting the foot of the cantaliver to descend. The lower end of the cantaliver being of slightly greater weight than its upper end will descend with suilicient rapidity to permit its foot to rest upon the ground bythe time the fleeing person has reached the upper end of the cantaliver section so that his progress to the ground will be unimpeded.

The cantaliver `may be restored to horizontal position by raising the foot thereof by means Vof a pole or other convenient device and may be locked in that position by restoring the gate to its normal position across the floor of the second landing.

Having thus described my invention what .Iv claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fire escape comprising a landing, an inclined stairway leading therefrom and terminating at a point well above the surface of the` ground, a cantaliver pivotally mounted at the lower end of said inclined stairway provided with a flight of steps adapted to lead from said stairway to the ground and an extension wei ghtod to nearly balance said flight of steps, a rotatably mounted vertical shaft depending from said landing and having at its upper end a member operable from said platform and at its lower end a laterally extended member adapted to engage the extension of said eantaliver to hold the cantaliver in lelevated position.

2. A lire escape comprising a landing, an inclined stairway leading therefrom and terminating at a point well above the surface of the ground, a cantaliver pivotally mounted at the lower end of said inclined stairway and provided with a flight of steps `adapted to lead from said stairway to the said landing Whereby a person eeing from In testimony whereof, I have signed my e fire must necessarily release the cantuliver "name to this specification, in the presence of` before descending the inclined stairway, two subscribing Witnesses.

thus permitting the end of the cantaliver CALEB S. PARRIS. i

5 to descend and rest upon the ground before W'itnesses:

the person reaches the upper end of said FREDERICK A. TENNANT, flight of steps. Y THOMAS J. DRUMMoND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Y, Washington, D. C. 

